Shopping and stores
The main shopping alley of the city is Princes Street (New Town), which is located north of the castle. It runs through almost the entire city center, from the railway station to Lothian Road. Here are located both large shopping centers (music HMV, Topshop and H&M), as well as tourist-oriented souvenir shops and shops. George Street runs parallel to this street, which is also famous for its shopping and restaurants.
On Cockburn Street in the Old Town, you can find “alternative” Princess Street shops with Scottish music and kilts, piercing accessories and “subcultural” clothing. The Royal Mile, especially on the hill near the castle, is the perfect place to shop for Scottish-themed souvenirs: postcards, magnets, whiskey, kilts and bagpipes.
A separate pleasure is to stroll through the Grassmarket (Old Town). Not so much because of the shops and cozy pubs located here, but because of the charming views of the castle and pretty buildings. Multrees Walk (or simply The Walk) is the patrimony of expensive brands Vidal Sasoon, Armani, Vuitton, Harvey Nichols or Calvin Klein (New Town).
Cuisine and restaurants
According to Wholevehicles, Scotland is whiskey. So, going to Edinburgh, you should immediately lay a couple of hours to visit The Scotch Whiskey Heritage Center, which is located at the top of the Royal Mile. Here, tourists will be given an unforgettable tour, told about the history and origin of whiskey, methods of distillation, types of malt, and, of course, will be given a taste. You can also buy home a bottle or two here: more than 200 types at very reasonable prices.
In general, it is very difficult to recommend any institution in Edinburgh, they all have good quality food and, of course, beer. Many traditional Scottish pubs can be found near the Grassmarket square (there are not many locals here, but there are plenty of tourists).
If the romance of the Middle Ages is a little boring, but you still want beer, you can go to the modern bars of Edinburgh on George Street and George IV Bridge. You can listen to music and go dancing in clubs near Cowgate and Lothian road, for example, in Base, Gig and Diva. Other places popular with local youth include Opal Lounge, Shanghai, Bacaro, GHQ, The Hive, Octopussy (Thursdays at HMV Picture House) and Why Not.
There are plenty of pubs on Rose St pedestrian street where you can grab a bite to eat at a reasonable price. And at Chippy’s you can taste hamburgers, black pudding and “haggis” – the national Scottish dish of lamb giblets.
Entertainment and attractions in Edinburgh
Balmoral Hotel with a giant clock on the tower (symbol of the city), Edinburgh Castle and the so-called “Royal Mile” (Royal Mile), leading from the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the former palace of Mary Stuart, and now the residence of the Queen of England). In the city center is Princes Street, where the famous Scottish Monument and the National Art Gallery are located. Not far from the palace rises the rock “King Arthur’s Throne”.
Gland Stone Land is a shopkeeper’s house built in the 17th century, where the furnishings and interior have been preserved in their original form. On the ground floor there is a reconstructed shop with goods of that time, and on the top floor there is an apartment furnished in the spirit of the 17th century.
The Scottish Monument is a monument to the writer, more like a church, one of the most famous sights of Edinburgh. In the center of the city is a 60 meter high statue of Sir Walter Scott and his dog Maida.
Other attractions in Edinburgh: St. Margaret, Castle Rock Castle, Royal Residence in Scotland, Church of St. Gilles, the building of the Scottish Parliament, the Royal Museum, museums of modern history and the history of Scotland.
City galleries: Fruitmarket, Talbot Rice, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, Museum of Scotland. Walking tour of the historic center of Edinburgh, an excursion to the Roslin Chapel and the royal yacht Britannia, an excursion to Stirling Castle.
In Edinburgh, you can visit the Roslyn Chapel for an additional fee (15 GBP), richly decorated with symbolic sculptures and frescoes describing Biblical stories, the times of the Knights Templar and the Masonic Society. Now, thanks to Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code, it has become even more popular with tourists – after all, it is in it that the last chapter of the novel takes place.
Edinburgh Hotels
Inexpensive hostels are concentrated in the Cowgate Area, in the lower part of the Royal Mile and its lanes. Guesthouses and small hotels are scattered in all parts of the city, but most of them are around Newington Road and Minto Street on the south side and on Pilrig Street and Newhaven Road in Leith. Both of these areas are located within a 20-minute walk from the city center and are connected to it by bus routes.
